Automatic train-pipe coupling.



G. E. STANLEY.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I2. 1915. 1,282,134. Patented Oct.22,1918.'

2 SHEETSSHEET Z.

lm- -M gglm Wain/6.56 as Invenioz M! Q. Wm 613601 9016. Stanza GEORGE E. STANLEY, OF'WH'ITMAN, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN -PIPE' COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Fatent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1918;

Application filed Til arch 12,1915. Serial No. 13,959.

To all {PIP/0H2 it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. STANLEY, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a residentof lVhitman, county of Plymouth, and Commonwealth of lVIass-achusetts, have invented an Improvement in Automatic Train-Pi e Couplings, of which the following description, in connection with the'a-cconipanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings respre'sentinglike parts.

This invention relates to coupling devices for train service pipes and wires and its" aim is to provide an improved automatic coupler by means of which one or moreof such pipes and wires may be coupled and uncoupled automatically, and embodying the novel features hereinafter described.

In the drawings of one embodiment" of my invention selected for illustration and description herein,

Figure 1 is a plan of one of the coupling heads;

F a side elevation of the head Fig. 3, a rear view thereof;

Fig. 4:, a horizontal section on the line 4-%t Fig. 2, parts being broken away in each of the above figures;

F 5, a front face or end view, showing the head suspended from the car, and showing, in dotted lines, the head swungin'to in ope i ive position;

1g. 6, a vertical section on the line 6-6 F 5;

Fig. 7, a plan of two couplers incoupled relation, partly broken away;

ig. 8, a detail of the ire connecting member; 1 lg. 9, a view illustrating two coupling heads in uncoupled and inoperative relation, parts being broken away, and illustrating also the manner of connecting train pipes independently of the coupling device; and

Fig. 10, detail of the locking bolts and \wdge for operating the same, parts being broken away.

Referriug first to Figs. 1, 2, l, and 6, my in'iproved coupler as shown, comprises a head or block member 1, of suitable material as metal, movably supported, Fig. 5, in any convenient manner,as by chains 2, from a convenient support, as the end sill of a car platform, not shown, this for a similar means of support beingadapted to permit the necessary free movement of the couplers in the usual coupling'and uncoupling'operations, and in rounding curves, and alsoto permit the throwing of the coupler out of operative position when desired, as described later. In view" of this novel means of suspendingthe coupler head I have termed it a floating coupler.

It is also desirable'to provide for freedom ofmovement of the head 1 longitudinally of the car, and provision for proper movement of the head 1hr this manner is important,

and I have conceived and illustrated a novel.

construction to that end. Obviously while there must be a certain freedom of movement'of'the head 1 longitudinally, it also must be properly controlled.

If the tension of the yielding support for the head 1 is too great, it will rebound when struck forcibly by an approaching coupler head, and proper engagement of the couplers will not take place.

On the other hand there must be provided in some manner, suflicient tension or resiliency of support to receive and take up very'severe'thrusts or knocks resulting first, from unexpected severe'contact of the two heads 1, l, in coupling operations; and second, from the ordinary oscillations of the cars while'running, due in part to the, at times, sudden application of the brakes.

To properly meet the above requirements, as stated, I have provided novel means, and as illustrated, see Figs. 1, 2, e, 7, the head 1 is provided, on its rear face, with any suitable means, as a boss 1, for receiving and sustaining a buffer spring 5, shown best in Fig. 1, the opposite end of which is carried by a similar boss 6, Fig; 7, on an off-set sec tion 7 of a buffer bar 8. The rear end of this bar Sis 'movably connected in any convenient manner by a slot and pin connection witha suitable support 9 depending from thecar body, not shown, thus permitting the unusually free and substantially universal movement laterally or floating of the bar 8 and head 1.

This spring 5 referred to receives the first rearward thrust or knock of the head 1 and, in order to permit effective and proper interlocking of the opposed heads, 1, 1, it is comparatively weak, permitting the head 1, when struck to move backward readily.

If the backward movement of the head 1 were permitted to continue beyond a certain reasonable degree, the locking or the couill Fence, proper provision to control this movement must be provided, and to this end i. have supplied the butter bar 8 with a yielding buiiin support, in the form herein, oi a second and stronger spring 10 about the rear end of the bar 8 and seated against the collar 12 and support 9. This section of the bar 8 may conveniently be curvilinear in cross section.

in order that the tension of this stronge spring 10 may be adjusted when necessary, the bar 8 may be provided with spring ad justing means, as a plurality of apertures 11, a collar 12 and adjustin pin 13 therefor, whereby the seat for one end of the spring 10 may be adjusted at will. have, in Fig. 1 shown one of the springs 10 so adjusted by the collar This spring 10 acts in a cumulative with the spring 5 to properly control the action of the head 1, as will be referred to again presently.

The forward end o2. the bar 0 is slotted at it, Fig. 2, to receive a pin or other suitable connecting member on the side of the head 1, thus providing a yielding connection and suppor for the bar.

The head 1, l 3, 6, may be provided with as many connect ons for errice instrumentalities, as pipe connecting passages and wire sockets, as desired, and is herein shown as having a passage 16 for the signal pipe 17, a passage 18 for the brake pi 3e 19, and a passage 20 for the steam pipe 21, each provided with a suitable coupling or connecting member for receiving the cooperating coupling or connect ng member on the end 01' the respective train pipe or hose end. 1

prefer to use and have illustrated the standcouplings for hose now in use on the standard rai oads. Que ot th members of the couplin is secured to the bacl: of the head i as by threading it thereto. The head in each case, to receive a siini 4 member on wire end. may be provided a at any conye nt point on the front with one or more wire socket members 23 for receiving a cooperating i1 ember on the opposite head for connecting up electric wires for any purpose.

This socket, shown in 8, may con sist oi a thiinble 23, a plun er and a spring acting normally to rorce the plunger 23 outwardly, it being controlled in i outward movement by a gin 2 :3 en, the wall 01" the thin'ible 23 The wire 23 is c the head 1, to a socket 2 ber of a cou ring '23. Cooperat' 1g said member is a unilar member connected rid: the wire 23 from the car.

I prefer. for reasons tlat will appear or sently provide suitable couplin e head 1 for l i the ioiego- Kl couple the usual train pipes to them in the same coupled at prenent, so that the coupling may be broken at will.

in this way it it is necessary to ever use either car in connection with a car not equipped with an automatic coupler, the hose ends on the car equipped with the automatic coupler may e unlocked from their coupler head 1 and the head swung to one side, socured as by chain 2% and hook 25, and the hose ends coupled by hand to similar inen'ibers on the adjoining car as is now done. By this means I avoid serious inconvenience under the above conditions.

in Fig. 9, dotted lines, 1 have shown the heads, 1, 1, secured as described, and the train pipes so disconnected from the automatic coupling head and coupled in the common wa The electric wires may also be connected independently of the head 1, as shown in conventional form herein, the socket member 239 being connected direct to the socket member 2-3 on the adjacent car.

This novel means of cutting ou the coupler head at will is advantageous in cases where any one of the couoling members, as a gasket on the coupling head, may have been damaged and hence useless. In such case the particular pipe affected may be connected directly with the corresponding pipe on the adjoining car end, or the head 1 may be cut out cntirel and all pipes and wires connected direct.

Also it anything happens to the head member itsclz to render it useless, all the pipes nay be connected in the usual way disreaiding the head member 1.

Although all cars on standard railroads are intended to be of substantially the same height, they vary somewhat owing to the diderence in the yielding of the car springs, and also on account of the difference in the loads they may carry. To guide the heads 1, 1, vertically, Fig. 7, as they approach each other when two cars are to be coupled, and to provide that they shall properly interlock, l have, see Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5, 7,'provided each head 1 with top and bottom guide members 26, :27, respectively, in the shape herein respectively of longitudinally and laterally extended flanges.

The top and bottom flanges 26, 2-7, Figs. 1, 7. are extended forwardly, preferably a little to one side of the central longitudinal plane of the head 1. lhese guides 26, 27, Fig. 7, act to guide the approaching heads to horizontal alinement by means of the abutting edges 28, 29, thereon. To facilitate this engagement the guides 26, 2'7, are caused to curve upwardly and downwardly, res )ectively, thereby extending the area in which they will engage each other as desired.

guides 2, 27, are adapted, Fig. 7, when the heads 1 are in coupled relation, to

extend respectively, forward over the top of and beneath the bottom of the adjoining head 1, to hold thehea-dsfirmly in correct alinement.

To take care of any vertical non-alinement, the heads 1, 1, are each also provided with the vertical side guide 30 which 00- operates with the guides 26, 27, as de scribed, and serves; to bring the opposed heads 1, 1, substantially in vertical alinement. The flanges may act only, however, as guides to assist in effecting alinement.

To still further perfect the alinement of the heads and effect substantially exact alinement of the pipe passage openings 16, 18 and 20, each head 1 may be provided, if desired, Fig. 5, on its outer or front face, with oneor more dowel pins 31 and sockets 32 therefor, the pinson each head interlocking with the sockets on the opposite head. After the heads are guided generally to properly interlock, the dowel pins act to still further perfect the alinement and proper interlocking. The use of dowel pins and sockets, however, is not necessary. The outer ends of the passages 16, 18 and 20, are provided with usual gaskets of desired kind to make proper joints with similar gaskets in similar opposed passage ends.

Obviously for proper working of the various pipe systems the joints of the passages in the couplers must be tight at all times and, in order to provide such a joint, effective locking means must be provided for the heads 1, that will be operative under all reasonable conditions. To this end I have provided novel locking means which I will now describe.

Each head 1 is provided at one side and herein, Figs. 1', 2, 3, 4, on the side adjacent the guide 30 with an upright bolt passage 33 in which are arranged, one above the other, two locking members, as bolts 3 1. 34, point to point, at substantially the center of the passage. In the side wall of the head 1 and connecting with the passage 33 are two slots 35, 35, to receive each a pin or similar member 36 extended laterally therethrough from each bolt 34.

These pins 36, 36. are connected, as near their ends, by any convenient means as a spring 37, acting, see Fig. 2, normally to hold the two bolts in withdrawn position. The combined buffer and locking member operating bar 8 previously described, is pro vided with a beveled forward end 38 positioned normally adjacent the two rounded or beveled abutting ends of the bolts 3f, 34-. This bar, therefore, serves the double pun pose of acting as a buffer for the head 1 and a belt or looking member actuator for the bolts 3 1, 3%, as will presently appear.

The heads 1, 1, normally extend forwardly from the end of the car slightly beyond the usual coupling heads of the draft gear, so

that the former contact with each other slightly in advance of the latter during the operation of coupling two cars.

In the coupling operation, as the opposed faces of the heads 1 contact with each other the comparatively weak springs 5, 5, yield readily to permit the coupling heads on the draw bars, of the draft gear, not shown, to interlock. This contacting of the opposed heads 1, 1, and locking of i the coupling heads ofthe draw bars of the draft gear causes the spring 5, 5, to yield normally without bringing any material pressure upon the spring 10. Thespring 10, however, is stiff enough to maintain the bar 8 in extended position under ordinary circumstances, and, as the heads 1, 1, yield on impact with each other, the forward pointed ends 38, 38, of the bars 8, 8, in the opposed couplers, are forced by the springs 10, 10, between the rounded ends of the bolts 31, 3a. These bolts, Fig. 2, in dotted lines, are forced thereby respectively upwardly and downwardlybehind ears 39, 39, on the outer edges of the guides 26, 2'7, on the opposite coupler, and act, Fig. 7, to draw tightly together and to securely lock the two heads 1, 1, the-beveled edges 38, 38, of the bolts engaging: beveled edges 40, 10, of the cars 39, 39, with the result stated.

This engagement of each bolt 34 with its ear 39 is sufficiently secure to hold the heads in looking. engagement under all ordinary conditions, taking up the slack if any, during the movement of the cars while running. But when a draw bar pulls out and the train breaks into two sections, tending to pull the heads 1, 1, apart, and when also in the act of uncoupling, the heads are pulled apart, the pressure on the bolts '34, 31, will causethe bar 8 to withdraw against the spring 10, and cause the bolts 3&, 34, to release their engagement with the ears 39, 39, and permit the separation of the heads 1, 1.

An automatic train pipe coupler head such as I have described possesses many advantages. lVhere the train pipes are coupled directly to each other, as is common at present, there is always great danger that, in coupling the-several pipes one brake pipe will be coupled to a. signal pipe on the opposite car and thus make absolutely inoperative both the signal and the brake systems throughout the whole train. This has resulted in several serious accidents already.

There is also the danger to the brakeman, of the train starting while he is coupling the pipes, always attendant on going between the cars, for any purpose, and by the use of my automatic coupler head this danger is absolutely avoided, as, when the pipes are once connected to the coupler head, they need not be uncoupled except in an emergency of some kind.

There is a further advantage in the use of ile the coupler head arising from the elimination of the danger of stripping the coupler from the hose pipes by rails, particularly in the case of slip switches. According to the present manner of use, the train pipe hose ends, when uncoupled, are to be suspended from the platform to prevent the couplings from dragging over and striking the rails and ties.

It frequently happens, however, that the train man either neglects to suspend the hose from the platform or it becomes detached therefrom at the rear of the train by the jolting of the cars and drags over the ties and rails. Vihen such depending hose end strikes a cross-over rail, the coupler is frequently caught and stripped from the hose. This stripping of the coupler of course makes that particular hose end absolutely useless until repaired.

When under these conditions the coupler is not stripped from the hose it is frequently so bent out of shape and otherwise damaged by the impact against the rails that the joint of that coupler with another will thereafter leak badly, with the result that the escaping steam will envelop the car platform and make it difficult to see the steps, and in winter the moisture from the steam will freeze on the steps and make them slippery. il 'ain, frequently the steam pipes will contain hot water and when the brakeman breaks the joint, the hot water will rush out and scald him. I

It is of frequent occurrence at present for both the brake and signal hose couplings to break when the train is rounding a sharp curve. By the use of the coupler head this danger is also avoided. At the present time, if the train breaks into two sections the couplings on each of the signal, brake and steam pipes may be stripped from the hose ends, while, with the use of the automatic coupler head, if the train breaks into two sections, this danger to the hose and couplers is entirely avoided, as coupler heads separate automatically under any excess pull thereon.

The use of the coupler head also permits the coupler to be automatically connected with the buffer posts at terminals and the hose connection to be automatically made at the same time so that the train can be mated by steam from the stationary plant provided at ten inals for that purpose.

The automatic coupling of the train pipes at the same time with the draft gear coupling operation, saves much time and labor.

Owing to the fact that cars equipped with the couplers can be used with not so equipped, it is possible to gradually quip cars with my improved co pler without, at the same time, int rfer' with the use of such cars with others not so equipped.

ll hile l have illustrated and described 1,2sa1sa one embodiment of my invention, it will be obvious that modifications thereof can readily be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims:

1. An automatic train pipe coupler comprising a head, guides thereon, pipe pasthrough said head, meansfor detachably connecting pipesthereto, a tandem spring buffer support for the head, a buffer bar, and oppositely acting head locking members operatively connected with the bar and actuated thereby.

2. An automatic train pipe coupler comprising a head, guides thereon, pipe passages through said head, means for detachably connecting pipes thereto, a tandem spring buffer support for the head, a bufier bar, and oppositely acting head locking members positioned adjacent the bar and adapted to be wedged apart by it.

drrn automatic train pipe coupler comprising a head, guides thereon, pipe passages through said head, means for detachably connecting pipes thereto, a buffer spring for the head, a bufier bar for the spring, a second buffer spring for the bar and head, and locking member actuating means on the but fer bar.

An automatic train pipe coupler com- Jisng a head, guides thereon, pipe pasthrough said head, means for detachconnecting pipes thereto, a buffer f for the head, a combined buffer bar n member actuator for the spring, suffer spring for the bar and head, positely acting locking members to be actuated by the bar. automatic train pipe coupler comsages through said head, means for detach ably connecting pipes thereto, a buffer spring for the head, a combined buffer bar and locking member actuator for the spring, a second buffer spring for the bar and head, oppositely acting locking members positioned adjacent the bar, and means on the bar to wedge them into locking position.

6. An automatic train pipe coupler comprising a head, guides thereon provided with bolt engaging ears, pipe passages throi the head, means for detachably coneclr pipes thereto, and a tandem spring buffer support therefor, a bolt slot in the head. oppositely RChlHQbOl S therein havi beveled ear engaging faces, and a comned buffer bar and bolt actuator positioned adjacent the bolt ends, and adapted to be a tuated by the rear spring to wedge them into locking position. 7

in automatic train pipe coupler coma floating head, means to raise the head to inoperative position, guides thereon,

a head, guides thereon, pipe paspipe passages through the head, means for detachably connecting pipes thereto, and a tandem spring buffer support for the head.

8. An automatic train pipe coupler comprising a floating head, guides thereon, pipe passages through the head, means for detachably connecting pipes thereto, a tandem spring buffer support for the head, a buffer bar having an adjustable spring seat thereon, and locking members at opposite corners of the head and operatively connected with the bar.

9. An automatic train pipe coupler comprising a floating head, guides thereon, pipe passages through the head, means for detachablv connecting pipes thereto, a tandem spring buffer support for the head, a buffer bar having an adjustable spring seat thereon, locking members in opposite corners of the head, adjacent the buffer bar end and adapted to be wedged apart by it.

10. An automatic train pipe coupler comprising a floating head, guides thereon, pipe passages through the head, means for detachably connecting pipes thereto, a bufier spring for the head, a buffer bar for the spring and having an adjustable spring seat thereon, a second butter spring for the bar and head, and locking member actuating means on the buflfer bar.

11. An automatic train pipe coupler comprising a floating head, guides thereon, pipe passages through the head, means for detachably connecting pipes thereto, a buffer spring for the head, a combined buffer bar and locking member actuator for the spring having an adjustable spring seat thereon, a second buffer spring for the bar and head, and locking members in opposite corners of the head adapted to be actuated by the bar with head-drawing action.

12. An automatic train pipe coupler comprising a floating head, guides thereon, pipe passages through the head, means for detachably connecting pipes thereto, a buifer spring for the head, a combined buffer bar and locking member actuator for the spring having an adjustablespring seat thereon, a second buffer spring for the bar and head, locking members in opposite corners of the head adjacent the bar end, and means on the bar to impart to the locking members headdrawing action and to Wedge them into locking position.

13. An automatic train pipe coupler comprising a floating head, train pipe connecting passages therethrough, and a cumulative tandem spring buii'er support for the head, in combination with a train pipe system connecting member attached to the head when in normal position, and also attachable to the train pipe system in lieu thereof with the head in inoperative position.

1%. An automatic coupler for train service instrumentalities comprising a floating head, means thereon for connecting thereto the connecting members of said instrumentalities,'locking members on the head for looking an opposing head thereto, a buffer bar, a cumulative, tandem spring support therefor and locking member actuator means actuated by the bar.

15. An automatic train pipe coupler comprising a plurality of floating heads, means for raising the heads to inoperative position, locking means for the heads, a train pipe system connecting member locked to each head and adapted to be locked to each other with the heads in inoperative position.

16. An automatic train instrumentality coupler comprising a head, train instrumentalities detachably connected thereto, a tandem spring buffer support for the head, a butter bar, and head locking members operatively connected with the bar and actuated thereby.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses. I

GEORGE E. STANLEY.

Witnesses JAMES E. MAoPHnRsoN, EVERETT S. EMERY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

